You are correct on which stiffs made the playoffs.
What you are incorrect on is that Nonis was in a rebuild which consisted of the following:
1)Transition the Sedins to top line players
2)Replenish the farm
3)wait out old contracts
4)Hire a new coach and change the system
Gillis is not in a rebuild nor is this an underdog team like the Nonis era.
lol
1) the Sedins had already transitoned to be the teams second and 4th leading scorers in 2005/2006 and the leading scorers in the next year. That transition had been complete for 2 years before Nonis was fired for missing the playoffs again.
2) he never put anybody on the farm his final 2 season at the draft table except for Grabner. Like Burke he gave 2nd and 3rd round picks out like candy. An unusual tactic for someone who is supposed to be rebuilding.
3) given he signed those contracts he doesn't get a by on them. You can't on one hand complain about Gillis signing some of the contracts he does and tying his own hands and ignore that for Nonis. In particular the Naslund extension.
4) AV was already in place for 2 season when Nonis was fired. The first season they went to the second round on the strength of the goaltending and a strong team system. The system was already implemented a long time prior to him being fired.
What Nonis did is what Talon did this year. He assumed lightening would strike twice for certain aspects of his team and didn't improve those aspects. Bad assumption. The second round berth may have been a surprise but it is for every team that first tiem. You quite simply have to move forward when you have some sort of success.
Anyways on Gordon....hey look the depth isn't all that terrible. They can come in and do a good conservative job.
